Air dehumidifier for compartments



5\\/ 1 6 6 7 L lll 55 5 Hl a n m 4A .B o 2 2 DR. L 9M 55 9 e .t i. 5 65l Vl A F a n e s I u .E m m H M a m 5 P 7 M 9 rw 5 9 u R 1 l r f A m 9 wB R 4 R m A uw .r /9 F ...tfdu S I v. *t 4 m n ww.. 0 umu w x M l@ l m.A m m m 0 w 5 m 9 m m 1, 3 .a 1 m vv w e m w m, ...-ri... :L .J ,.w/ w

Patented June 13, 1950 AIR DEHUMIDIFIER FOR COMPRTMENTS Samuel R. Barr,kBridgeport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporationof New York Application October 9, 1948, Serial No. 53,624

(Cl. 18S-4.1)

z claims. 1

My invention relates to drying apparatus and more particularly to an airdehumidifying unit such as may be placed in various types ofcompartments in order to remove moisture from the air within thesecompartments.

Heretofore most dehumidifying units have required that the moistureremoving agent in the unit be replaced from time to time as it becamesaturated with moisture. Otherunits in which the desiccating agent couldbe reactivated required that the reactivating means be turned on and offmanually. t

vOne of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to provide a simplecompletely automatic dehumidifying unit which can be mounted easily in acompartment and requires little or no iurther attention after theinstallation.

Another objectl of my invention is to provide a dehumidifying unitwhereby a desiccating agent included therein may automatically bereactivated after the absorption of a predetermined amount of moisture.

A further object of my invention', is to provide a cabinet structure forsuch dehumidifying apparatus which operates automatically to open andclose suitable Ventilating apertures to enable the moisture ladenatmosphere evaporated from an included desiccating agent during thereactivation thereof to be emitted outside of the dehumidifyingapparatus.

In furtherance i these objects, I make use of the simple principle thatas a desiccating agent absorbs moisture it also gains Weight. In apreferred embodiment of my invention, the container for 'the'desiccatingagent is supported by resilient means and moves downward because of theincrease in weight as the desiccating agent exposed to the air withinthe compartment absorbs moisture. At a predetermined point in itsgradual descent, the container energizes a heatingv element placed nearor within the desiccating agent. This heating element serves toreactivate the desiccating agent by evaporating the moisture it hasabsorbed. In order that the same water vapor will not be reabsorbed` bythe. desiccating agent, automatic means are provided by which the watervapor escapes outside of the compartment while the desiccating agent isbeing reactivated.

. Since the desiccating agents in common use today, such as silica gel,do not deteriorate or evaporate with use, the unit requires little or nofurther attention once it is installed and adjusted.

For a more complete understanding ofwmy invention reference should behad to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionalview of a dehumidifying unit mounted within a compartment. Fig. 2 is avertical view partly in section of the dehumidifying unit of Fig. 1showing its position While the unit is being reactivated. Fig. 3 is afront view partly in section of the entire dehumidifying unit of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a cabinet for this dehumidifyingunit. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of this dehumidifyingunit.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my invention in one form asapplied to a compartment I having a door 2, a shelf 3 and a plurality ofVentilating aperturesl at thetop. Although my dehumidifying unit mayassume a variety of shapes and sizes and may be located anywhere Withinthe compartment, I have shown it as comprising a rectangular cabinet 5mounted at the rear of compartment I on shelf 3 directly beneath .theapertures 4 and secured in place by such means as screws 6 and nut 1.

Within this dehumidifier cabinet 5, I have provided a Smallerrectangular container 8 into which a desiccating agent 9, such as silicagel, is placed. A frame IIJ (best seen in Fig. 3) holds perforatedscreens II through which aircan pass at the front and back of thiscontainer 8. Attached to the upper portion of one side I2 of thiscontainer 8 is a bifurcated hinge I3 comprising a pair of parallelvextension arms I4, each arm having a `holef|5 formed across its outerend spaced a Short 4distance from the side I2 of said container 8. HingeI3 tsovera hinge bracket I6 which isfinser'ted between extension arms I4and vsecured to the side of cabinet 5 by such means as screws Iland I8.Bracket I6 also has a hole I9 Aformed within it correspondingly alignedto the holes `I5 `formed within the hinge extension arms I4. A hinge pin`2|] is inserted through holes I5, I9 in order to make Aa pivotalconnection 2|. Holes I5, I9 arelsuitably formed to accommodate a ballbearing connection 22; best seen in Fig. 3.

AIn order to adjust the container 8 around pivot point 2| to a positionsubstantially parallel to the base of cabinet 5, many different methodscan be employed. 'One simple and eiective method, best seen in Fig.3,.is to place a heavy spring 23 between pivot point2I and the side I2of the container 8 extending parallel thereto within the space .betweenthe hinge extension arms I4. Spring 23 is hooked at its upper end into ahole 24 formed in a. projecting flange 25 of hinge bracket '*I6.`The'lower end of spring 23 is adjustablysecured tothe side I2 of thecontainer 8 by an eye bolt 2E to which spring 23 is attached.

Eye bolt 2B is inserted through a suitable aperture 21 in a conventionalL-shaped bracket 28 secured to the lower portion 29 of side I2 of thecontainer 8 by such means as screws 30. The tension of spring 23 isadjusted by wing nut 3I threaded to eye bolt 26 beneath the L-shapedbracket 28.

A heating element 32 which in one form may comprise a sheathed heaterunit having a U- shaped outer enclosing tube 33 and aninner heating wire34 electrically insulated from the tube is placed in or near container8. In the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 3,heating element 32 is immersed within the desiccating agent 9. The arms35 of the U-shaped heating element 32 are inserted through suitablecollars 36 in the top of the container 8. These collars 36 serve toposition the heating element 32.

A sensitive switch 31 is adjustably secured to the rear of cabinetadjacent to the top of container 8 by such means as screws 38 and nuts39 inserted within a pair of elongated slots 40 in a supporting bracket4I. The switch 31 is attached to the bracket 4I by such means as screws42 and nuts 43. The bracket 4I has a slight pitch; and a small measureof both vertical and horizontal adjustment of switch 31 may be obtainedby loosening screws 38, moving bracket 4I as guided by the elongatedslots 46, and retightening screws 38.

A laterally projecting contact arm 44 attached to the top of thecontainer fits under the switching arm 45 of the switch 31 and serves tohold the switch open. A pair of terminal connecting` wires 46, i1 areattached to the arms 35 of the heating element 32, one of theseconnecting wires 46 going directly through an aperture in grommet 48 inthe cabinet 5 to the electric current source (not shown) and the otherof these wires 41 going to terminal 49 of the electric switch 31.Another terminal connecting wire 50 is attached to the other terminal 5Iof switch 31 and extends out through the aperturey in grommet 48 to theother side of the electric current source (not shown).

The front of the cabinet 5 is enclosed by an upper door 52 and a lowerdoor 53 suspended on hinges 54 which are pivotally attached tocylindrical hinge rods 55. These rods 55 extend the entire width of thecabinet 5 and are inserted through suitable holes 56 in each side of thecabinet 5. The upper door 52 has an upper portion 51 and a lower portion58 forming an obtuse angle and pivotally mounted on a cylindrical hingerod 55 at the vertex of this angle on the top front corner 59 of cabinet5. The upper portion 51 closes the top of the cabinet 5 when the lowerportion 58 is slightly open.

During the interval that the desiccating agent 9 within the container 8is absorbing moisture, doors 52, 53 are respectively held slightly openat the bottom by an upper supporting arm 60 and a lower supporting armlil-located to one side of the container 8 and having a generally archedconguration. One leg 62 of each arch is secured to the rear of cabinet 5by such means as screws 63 and nuts 64, while the other leg 65 of thearch holds the door open. Supporting arms 60, 6I are composed of two ormore dissimilar metals having different thermal co--eicients ofexpansion secured together lengthwise to form a unitary thermostaticbar. They are constructed to move inwardly as illustrated in Fig. 4,upon the application of heat; thereby a1- lowing the doors 52, 53 toclose. When the lower portion 58 of the upper door 52 closes due to theinward movement of its supporting arm 60, the upper portion 51 movesopen under` the force of a small wire spring 66 hooked to a pin 61 whichis attached to a side of cabinet 5. This spring encircles the hinge rodand extends under the upperportion 51 of the door 52. A1- though I haveshown the cabinet 5 as having two doors 52 and 53 respectively in orderto obtain a large area of access between the internal desiccating agentand the atmosphere within the compartment, it is evident that,alternatively, only the angle-shaped upper door 52 and its associatedsupporting means need be employed; the remainder of the cabinet beingentirely closed.

In the operation of my invention, the air within the compartment I owsthrough the doors 52, 53 normally held open by supporting arms and 6 I,to the desiccating agent 9 located within the container 8. Thisdesiccating agent 9 removes the moisture from the air with which itcomesin contact, and the dry air continues to Icirculate upward into thecompartment I. As the desiccating agent 9 absorbs moisture it gainsweight, causing the container 8 gradually to descend. This downwardmotion is permitted by the pivotal connection 2I and the resilientspring 23. As the container moves downward the contact arm 44 releasesthe switching arm 45 of the s-witch 31 throwing the switch to its onposition. This closes the circuit to the heating element 32 immersedwithin the desiccating agent 9, and the moisture absorbed by thedesiccating agent is evaporated due to the application of heat, therebyreactivating the desiccating agent. As the temperature within thecabinet increases while the heating element is operating, the legs 65 ofthe bimetallic supporting arms 60, 6I move inwardly, causing the doors52, 53 to close and simultaneously causing the upper portion 51 of theupper door 52 to open. The movement of these doors prevents themoisture-laden air withg in the cabinet 5 from once again circulatingout to the compartment I during the reactivating period. Instead, thismoisture-laden air circulates upward through the opening formed by theposition of the upper portion 51 of the door 52, and out through theapertures 4 in the compartment I to the outside. As the moisture isevaporated from the desiccating agent 9, the container 8 becomes lighterand moves upward due to the action of spring 23, once again openingswitch 31. The interval of time between reactivating periods can beincreased or decreased by tightening or loosening the tension of spring23, or by adjusting the position of switch 31.

As can be seen from the foregoing detailed description, the size andshape of the cabinet 5 or container 8 are not critical. They can be madeto fit almost any compartment. 'Ihe unit is easily adjustable andcompletely automatic once installed. Furthermore, sincey its automaticoperation depends upon gravitational action, it is not subject totroubles inherent in units employing a mechanical motive force.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will beunderstood that I do f not wish to be limited thereto since many modi-What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A dehumidifying unit for drying the air within a compartment havingVentilating apertures at the top thereof comprising a perforatecontainer, a desiccating agent within said container, an outer enclosingcabinet for said container mounted beneath said Ventilating apertures,said cabinet having a plurality of doors, the uppermost of said doorshaving upper and lower portions forming an obtuse angle and beingpivotally mounted at the vertex of said angle at a top corner of saidcabinet, the said upper portion closing the top of said cabinet when thelower portion is opened, a plurality of bimetallic supporting armsarranged normally to hold said doors open and constructed to close saiddoors upon the application of heat to said arms, said upper portionmoving to an open position as the lower portion is closed upon theapplication of heat, a pivotal connection between one side of saidcontainer and one side of said cabinet, resilient means for adjustablypositioning said container around said pivotal connection, a heatingelement immersed within said desiccating agent, and a switch forenergizing said heating element operated by the downward motion of saidcontainer as it absorbs moisture.

2. A cabinet for dehumidifying apparatus of the type including acontainer having a desiccating agent therewithin comprising a memberenclosing and supporting said container and having a verticallysuspended door, said door having two portions forming an obtuse angleand being pivotally mounted at the vertex of said angle at the topcorner of said container, one of said portions closing an aperture inthe top of said enclosing member when the other portion is in an openposition, and the other portion of said door being arranged to close anaperture in the side of said container when said one portion is opened,a heating element within said enclosing member for reactivating saiddesiccating agent after an absorption of moisture thereby, andthermal-ly responsive supporting means arranged normally to maintainsaid other portion of said door in said opened position, but to movesaid one portion of said door to said open position when subjected toheat generated by said heating element `during the reactivation of saiddesiccating agent.

SAMUEL R. BARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,067,920 Heuser Jan. 19, 19372,136,618 Hull Nov. 15, 1938 2,278,854 I-Iunsicker Apr. 7, 19422,297,763 Higley et al. Oct. 6, 1942 2,328,521 Wittmann Aug. 31, 19432,411,039 I-Ieuser Nov. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date636,162 France Apr. 3, 1928

